The Little Energy Program That Could?

The innovative research and development program known as ARPA-e is in imminent danger of losing funding--and putting the U.S. even further behind in its bid for a clean-energy economy. David Biello reports

As it stands the U.S. government spends roughly $4 billion a year on energy research and development. And ARPA-e's budget is just $388 million, despite the broad popularity of such a program. A proposal released this week by the conservative American Enterprise Institute and the liberal Brookings Institution would increase ARPA-e style energy research funding to at least $15 billion a year in a bid to combat climate change and improve energy security.